Vending machine



March 28, 1967 HEL$|NG ET AL 3,311,207

VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 29, 1965 INVENTORS Knud J. Helsing and John E, Kulism BY 3 @z a ATTORNEY March 28, 1967 K, HEL$|NG ETAL 3,311,207

VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 29, 1965 FIGS.

United States Patent 3,311,207 VENDING MACE-Em Knud J. Helsing, Longmeadow, and .iohn E. Kalista,

Chicopee Falls, Mass, assignors to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Get. 29, 1965, Ser. No. 595,718 19 Claims. (Cl. 194-10) The present invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to electrically operated coin-controlled vending machines.

Electrically operated coin-controlled vending machines of various types are well known and are now used in large numbers. It has become desirable to provide a vending machine that can be easily controlled by the customer to vend one article upon collection of coin of one amount and to vend a predetermined plurality of articles upon collection of coin of a diiferent and higher amount. For example, it may be desirable to vend one bottled drink for ten cents or six bottled drinks for fifty cents.

It is a principal object of the present invention to pro vide an electrically operated vending machine with an improved control circuit that will enable the customer to be vended a single article upon collection of one amount of coin and to be vended a predetermined plurality of articles upon collection of a second higher amount of coin.

In accordance with the invention, a conventional cyclically operated electric motor driven vend gate as may be arranged to vend an article for each cycle of operation of the electric motor is provided with an electric control circuit that is operated in one of two different manners of operation depending upon the amount of coin collected. A first manner of operation by which a single article is vended is obtained by the functioning of a first control circuit arranged which includes a totalizer coin switch and a vend relay such that the vend relay is operated only a single time to cause the electric motor to operate for a single cycle after a first amount of coin has been collected thereby vending a single article. The second manner of operation by which a predetermined plurality of articles are vended is obtained by the functioning of a second control circuit arrangement including the coin switch and the vend relay in a different circuit configuration which may include a stepping switch or other counting device by which the vend relay is successively re-energized after the completion of each cycle of operation of the vend motor for a predetermined plurality of cycles of operation whereby a predetermined plurality of articles are vended after the second amount of coin has been collected.

Further objects, features and the attendant advantages of the invention will be apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a circuit diagram of a first form of coin controlled circuit of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the lower end of a vending machine showing the vending gate and the vend door and door switch as may be used in the control circuit of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a modified form of the invention in which a vend door switch is not used.

Referring first to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, it should be first mentioned that any type of cyclically operated electrically driven vending gate apparatus may be used with the control circuit of the invention. For purposes of simplifying the drawings, the vend gate is shown by FIG. 2 to be a rotatable clement carried by the shaft 11 which is driven by the electric motor M of FIG. 1. A conventional cycle switch, also known as a 3,31 lid? Patented Mar. 28, 1967 ice carrier switch or motor switch MS is rotatable on the shaft 11 to cause the carrier switch arm MSA to move from the normal position contacting contact M81 to an off-normal position contacting contact MSZ upon initial energization of the motor M and to be returned to the normal position contacting contact M81 at the end of one revolution of the vending shaft 11 as determined by the contour of the carrier switch cam MS. Obviously, any other well known form of cyclically operating vend motor and gate arrangement may be employed as will be apparent from the following detailed description of the control circuit of either FIG. 1 or FIG. 3.

Referring now in particular to FIG. 1 of the drawing, the control circuit of the invention includes the vend relay VR, the stepping switch coil SR and the door switch relays A and B together with the door switch DS and the coin totalizer switch CS. The coin totalizer switch CS is only shown diagrammatically since it again is a well known device that may take various forms and operates upon the collection of coin of one amount to move its switch arm into engagement with contact CS1 and upon collection of coin in a different higher amount to move its switch arm into engagement with contact CS2. The coin totalizer switch CS also is known to include a reset solenoid arrangement for resetting the coin switch upon application of an electrical signal to the line 20 so as to prepare the coin switch for the receipt of additional coins when it is desired to initiate the next vending operation. The multi-price coin switch mechanism, for example, may be the type made by Reed Electromech Corporation of Rockford, Ill. and identified as their model 7301 Totalizer. The stepping switch SR is a conventional stepping switch having a solenoid coil for actuating a ratchet-tooth wheel SRW driving a cam member SEC. The normal position of the stepping switch SR and its cam SRC is shown by FIG. 1 of the drawing but as soon as the stepping switch is actuated one step off normal, the cam SRC causes the stepping switch normally open contacts SR1 and SR2 to become closed. If it is assumed that the machine is to vend a predetermined number of articles such as six bottles, then the stepping switch SR would have six positions arranged such that every sixth position was the normal osition at which the stepping switch cam SRC reopens the previously closed normally open contacts SR1 and SR2.

The operation of the control circuit of FIG. 1 will now be described as it is first arranged to vend a single article upon collection of coin of a first predetermined amount. A manually operated selector switch SS is operated by the customer to be moved to the single article vend position whereby the switch arm of switch SS engages its contact SS2. This movement of the selector switch SS to the single article vend position prepares a circuit to energize the vend relay VR when the coin totalizer switch CS is moved to engage its contact CS1 upon collection of coin in the first amount. Therefore, deposit of the coin in the required first amount to move the totalizer switch CS into engagement with contact CS1 completes a circuit through selector switch contact SS2 to the vend relay VR which is thereby energized to close its contacts VRil, VR3 and open its contacts VRZ, VR4. The closure of contacts VRS completes a circuit to energize the motor M to start the vending operation which thereupon moves the motor switch MS oft normal to engage contact MSZ and provide a holding circuit for motor M. The motor M then continues to operate until the cam MS at the end of one revolution of the vend motor again returns the motor switch arm MSA into engagement with contact MSl, thereupon deenergizing the vend motor at the end of one cycle as one article is vended. The closure of contact VRl by the previously mentioned energization of the vend relay VR, VRl is of no consequence at this time when the circuit is being arranged to vend a single article and the selector switch SS is in the one article location in engagement with contact SS2. The previously mentioned initial movement of the motor switch arm MSA from contact MS into engagement with contact M52 opens the energization circuit for the vend relay VR thus deenergizing the vend relay VR as soon as the vend motor starts to operate. The deenergization of the vend relay recloses contacts VR2 and VR4 and reopens contacts VRI and VRS. The reclosure of contact VR2 is of no consequence in the circuit arrangement being described for the vending of a single article whereas the reclosing of contact VR4- ener gizes the line to the reset solenoid of the coin totalizer switch CS to reset the coin switch to zero in preparation for deposit of coin for the next vending operation.

The previously described operation of the vend motor M for a single cycle of operation will cause an article to be vended and as shown by FIG. 2 of the drawing may cause a bottle for example to be vended through the vending door to cause the vend door switch DS to move from the normal engagement with contacts DSl to the operated position in engagement with contacts DS2. Again, this movement of the door switch DS when the circuit is arranged for vending a single article is of no consequence since the switch SS in the previously described position energizing contact SS2 and the stepping relay SR is in its normal position and its contacts SR2 are open so that there is no electrical connection to the door switch arm DS. It is then assumed that the customer will remove the vended article from the door opening so that the door switch DS again returns to its normal position in engagement with its contact D51.

It should be pointed out that no empty signal switches or empty signal lights have been described in connection with the circuit of FIG. 1 of the drawings and it is believed that many empty signal and switch arrangements are well known so that it would be obvious to anyone skilled in the art to add an empty switch arrangement for disabling any circuits to the vend relay VR to prevent the vend relay from operating in the event that the machine is empty. It is also well known to, simultaneously with the operation of the empty switch, cause a coin reject solenoid to be energized to reject coins should they be attempted to be ofiered when the machine is empty. It is also obvious to anyone skilled in the art that the coin reject solenoid can be connected in the circuit so as to reject all coins for the duration of a vend cycle or sequence of vend cycles as hereinafter described.

Referring again to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the circuit as it is arranged with a second circuit configuration for operation in a manner to vend a predetermined plurality of articles will now be described. Assuming that the stepping switch SR is intended to count the vending of six articles and assuming that the customer desires to have six articles vended to him, he would move the selector switch SS to the position with its contact arm engaging contact SSd. The customer would then deposit the required amount of coin of sutficient higher value to bring the coin totalizer switch CS to the position with its contact arm engaging contact CS2. A circuit is thereby prepared for energizing the stepping switch coil SR through the normal contacts M51 of the motor switch MS. The first energization of the stepping switch coil SR moves the ratchet wheel SRW and its cam SRC off the first step and closes normally open contacts SR1 and SR2. The closure of contacts SR1 energizes the vend relay for the first time through the circuit including selector switch contact SS4, coin totalizer switch contact CS2 and the motor switch contact MSl. As soon as the vend relay VR is energized, its normally open contacts VRl and VR3 are closed and its normally closed contacts VR2 and VR4 are open, and the vend motor is energized for its first cycle of operation as previously described.

With the vend motor M energized, the first cycle of vending operation for vending the first article is initiated and as soon as the motor M moves its motor switch MS from engagement with contact MS} to engagement with contact M52 the vend relay 'VR is deenergized together with the stepping switch coil SR. The deenergization of the vend relay VR recloses contacts JR-4 to energize line 2% to reset the coin totalizer switch to zero in anticipation of the next purchase which, of course, would not take place until after the six articles have been vended to the customer under the present vending sequence be ing described. At the end of the first cycle or vending operation of the first article, the vend motor M is deenergized as previously described and the door switch DS is moved to engagement with its contacts D32 by the presence of a bottle in the door opening. Since the selector switch SS had been in the SS4 contact position and the coin totalizer switch CS had been moved to record the collected higher amount of coin as required for the vending of the predetermined plurality of articles, and the stepping switch SR had thereby been energized to move its cam switch SRC cit normal, the stepping switch contact SR2 is now closed to energize the door switch arm DS, thereby energizing relay A when the bottle being vended has moved the door switch DS to the D52 position and the motor switch MS has returned to M51 contact position. The energization of relay A closes its contacts A1 to lock the relay in the energized condition and closes its contacts A2 to prepare a circuit for energizing relay B after the first bottle has been removed by the customer.

As soon as the first bottle is removed by the customer the door switch DS returns to the normal position in engagement with its contact D81 which completes the circuit through the operated relay contact A2 to cause relay B to operate which closes its contacts B 1 and B2. The closure of relay contacts BE provides a holding circuit for relay B while the closure of its contacts B2 completes a circuit to the vend relay VR which causes the vend relay to again be operated a second time repeating the cycle of operation for vending the second article. As soon as the vend motor M starts to operate for the second cycle of operation the movement of its motor switch contact arm MSA out of engagement with contact M51 breaks the holding circuit for relays A and B which are thereby restored to normal until the second bottle has moved to the vending position to operate the door switch DS again causing the sequential operation of relays A and B when the bottle is removed as previously described. When the sixth bottle has been vended the stepping switch coil SR will have been operated six times moving its stepping relay wheel SRW and its cam wheel SRC back to the normal position shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing thereby reopening contacts SR1 and SR2. The opening of contacts SR2 deencrgizes the door switch DS preventing the operation of relays A and B upon vending and delivery of the sixth bottle. Since relay B will not become operated after the delivery of the sixth bottle the vend relay VR will not be reoperated and the vending operation is. completed so that in order to obtain the vending of any more bottles the customer must place additional coins in the machine and set the selector switch SS to the desired vending position for either a single article or a predetermined number of articles as desired.

Referring to FIG. 3 of the drawing a somewhat different or simplified form of circuit arrangement is provided in which the door switch D5 of FIG. 1 of the drawing is not employed. in place of the door switch a manual switch MS is operated by the customer each time he wishes to obtain an additional article. For example, if the customer closes the selector switch SS4 shown by FIG. 3 to be a push-button, to the position for the vending of a predetermined plurality of articles such as six bottles and has deposited the required amount of coinage to set the coin totalizer switch CS to engage its contact CS2, then he would be enabled to operate the pushbottom switch MS a sufficient number of times to obtain the delivery of six articles. It is, of course, assumed that the customer would remove each article vended or that a hopper or bin is available in which to deposit a plurality of articles as the customer operates the manual switch MS. The circuit arrangement is substantially the same as that of FIG. 1 of the drawing and will not be described in detail except as regards the operation of the circuit for the multivending of a predetermined plurality of articles under control of the customer operated switch MS instead of the door switch DS shown by FIG. 1. It will be assumed that the selector switch contacts SS4 have been closed and the stepping switch SR has been operated one time and also the vend relay VR has been energized one time and the vend motor M has been operated through one cycle of operation to vend the first of a predetermined plurality of articles. The stepping switch SR is therefore ofi" normal in the position shown by the drawing to cause its contacts SR; and SR2 to be closed. Therefore, with contact SR2 closed, the customer operates the manual switch MS after the first article has been vended and relay A will be operated to close its contacts A1 and A2. The contacts A1 complete a holding circuit for the relay A through the motor switch contact MSl while the closure of contacts A2 completes an operating circuit for the vend relay VR to be reoperated for vending a second article to the customer. The stepping switch coil SR is also re-energized along with the vending relay VR through the contacts SR1 and the closed contacts A2 of operated relay A. After the sixth article has been vended the stepping switch SR will have been returned to the so-called normal position whereby its contacts SR1 and SR2 will be opened thus preventing any further energization of the relay A by the operation of the customer operated switch MS. Thereafter, the operation of the vend relay for a subsequent vending can be obtained only through the coin controlled switch CS and the selector switches SS2 and S84 which is obtained by deposit of additional coinage by the customer in the required amount to obtain the desired amount of articles to be vended.

Again, it should be pointed out that no empty switch circuits have been shown in connection with FIG. 3 since it is believed that such circuits are obvious and would only serve to complicate the drawings. It is also desirable to point out that the customer operated selector switch SS with its contacts S52 and S54 may be omitted in which case the operation of the machine for vending either a single article or a predetermined plurality of articles would be solely determined by the amount of coin deposited in the coin totalizer switch CS.

Various other modifications will occur to those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin controlled vending machine for vending an article upon collection of a first coin amount and for vending a predetermined plurality of articles upon collection of a second coin amount comprising, a source of electric power, an electric motor driven vending means operable through a cycle of operation to vend a single article, a coin responsive switch movable from a normal position to a first position upon collection of a first coin amount and to a second position upon collection of a second coin amount, a vend relay connected in circuit with said source and said motor to energize said motor for a cycle of operation each time said vend relay is energized, circuit means responsive to the operation of said motor for each cycle to deenergize said vend relay, first circuit means including said coin switch and said vend relay for energizing said vend relay when said coin switch is moved to said first position and for returning said c'oin switch to its normal position whereby to operate said motor for a single cycle to vend a single article, and second circuit means including said coin switch and said vend relay for energizing said vend relay when said coin switch is moved to said second position and for returning said coin switch to normal and for thereafter repeatedly reenergizing said vend relay after the completion of each cycle of operation of said motor for a predetermined number of cycles to thereby vend a predetermined number of articles.

2. The invention of claim 1 in which said second circuit means includes a vend door switch movable from a first position to a second position when an article is released to a vending position upon each cycle of energization of said motor and movable back to said first position when the released article is removed from the vending position, and said second circuit means further includes the circuit means including said vend relay and said door switch to be responsive to the movement of the door switch to the second position for preventing reenergization of said vend relay and to reenergize said vend relay when each released article is removed to return the door switch to the first position.

3. The invention of claim 2 in which said second circuit includes a stepping switch, circuit means interconnecting said stepping switch and said vend relay to step said switch one step movement for each energization of said vend relay and circuit means including said stepping switch and said vend relay together with said door switch to prevent reenregization of said vend relay after a predetermined number of stepping movements of said stepping switch.

4. The invention of claim 1 including a selector switch movable between first and second positions, means connecting said vend relay and said first circuit means to the first position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its first position, and means connecting said vend relay and said second circuit means to the second position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its second position.

5. The invention of claim 2 including a selector switch movable between first and second positions, means connecting said vend relay and said first circuit means to the first position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its first position, and mean connecting said vend relay and second circuit means to the second position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its second position.

6. The invention of claim 3 including a selector switch movable between first and second positions, means connecting said vend relay and said first circuit means to the first position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its first position, and means connecting said vend relay and said second circuit means to the second position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its second position.

7. The invention of claim 1 in which said second circuit means includes a manually operable switch connected in circuit with said vend relay to cause said vend relay to be reenergized each time said manual switch is operated after each cycle of operation of said vend motor for a predetermined number of times only.

8. The invention of claim 7 in which said second circuit includes a stepping switch, circuit means interconnecting said stepping switch and vend relay to step said switch one step movement each energization of said vend relay, and circuit means including said stepping switch and said vend relay together with said manual switch to prevent reenergization of said vend relay after a predetermined number of stepping movements of said stepping switch.

9. The invention of claim 7 including a selector switch movable between first and second positions, means con necting said vend relay and said first circuit means to the first position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its first position, and means connecting said vend relay and said second circuit means to the second posi- 7 tion of said coin switch through said selector switch in its second position.

10. The invention of claim 8 including a selector switch movable between first and second positions, means connecting said vend relay and said first circuit means to the first position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its first position, and means connecting said vend relay and said second circuit means to the second position of said coin switch through said selector switch in its second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

S. H. TOLLBERG, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE FOR VENDING AN ARTICLE UPON COLLECTION OF A FIRST COIN AMOUNT AND FOR VENDING A PREDETERMINED PLURALITY OF ARTICLES UPON COLLECTION OF A SECOND COIN AMOUNT COMPRISING, A SOURCE OF ELECTRIC POWER, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN VENDING MEANS OPERABLE THROUGH A CYCLE OF OPERATION TO VEND A SINGLE ARTICLE, A COIN RESPONSIVE SWITCH MOVABLE FROM A NORMAL POSITION TO A FIRST POSITION UPON COLLECTION OF A FIRST COIN AMOUNT AND TO A SECOND POSITION UPON COLLECTION OF A SECOND COIN AMOUNT, A VEND RELAY CONNECTED IN CIRCUIT WITH SAID SOURCE AND SAID MOTOR TO ENERGIZE SAID MOTOR FOR A CYCLE OF OPERATION EACH TIME SAID VEND RELAY IS ENERGIZED, CIRCUIT MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR FOR EACH CYCLE TO DEENERGIZE SAID VEND RELAY, FIRST CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID COIN SWITCH AND SAID VEND RELAY FOR ENERGIZING SAID VEND RELAY WHEN SAID COIN SWITCH IS MOVED TO SAID FIRST POSITION AND FOR RETURNING SAID COIN SWITCH TO ITS NORMAL POSITION WHEREBY TO OPERATE SAID MOTOR FOR A SINGLE CYCLE TO VEND A SINGLE ARTICLE, AND SECOND CIRCUIT MEANS INCLUDING SAID COIN SWITCH AND SAID VEND RELAY FOR ENERGIZING SAID VEND RELAY WHEN SAID COIN SWITCH IS MOVED TO SAID SECOND POSITION AND FOR RETURNING SAID COIN SWITCH TO NORMAL AND FOR THEREAFTER REPEATEDLY REENERGIZING SAID VEND RELAY AFTER THE COMPLETION OF EACH CYCLE OF OPERATION OF SAID MOTOR FOR A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF CYCLES TO THEREBY VEND A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF ARTICLES. 